Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition concerning a shortage of funds to pay provident funds and gratuities to former Pakistan Steel Mills employees, on Monday barred the government from selling land owned by PSM to generate funds to do so.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed, has been hearing the case. The case had been presented to the apex court by the Ministry of Production. The deputy advocate general, who was representing the government, told the court that PSM did not have sufficient funds to pay salaries and provident funds to employees.
“We are selling the land in order to pay [outstanding] dues,” he said.
Justice Ahmed criticised PSM’s performance in response, saying: “Pakistan Steel Mills’ output is zero. It has been ruined [by the responsible people] to fill their own pockets.”
“Pakistan Steel Mills was [once] a huge institution. Hundreds of steel mills operated with the help of [PSM],” he recalled. “Cars, trucks and even rockets were prepared in PSM.”
